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"Vocabulary for Growth"
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This activity can be done by a single support provider, whether a family member, volunteer, or professional.
However, it is most effective when used to facilitate conversation among a group of people providing support.
Overview
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This activity taps into support providers' insights about those they care for, enhancing this understanding with vocabulary to better identify and communicate motivations, interests, and abilities, thereby fostering personal and creative growth.
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It incorporates key principles of Language for Listening: identifying someone's focus, understanding their valued experiences, and supporting their interests.
The accompanying activity sheets facilitate focused conversation and provide a structured approach to describing these concepts in a straightforward and accessible manner. By using these resources, you can promote effective communication that aligns with the preferences of those being supported.
Materials
These activity sheets are available for free to download and print.
If you are in need of these forms in another language please contact us at info@languageforlistening.com
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Activity
Think of a person you are supporting.
As a group, consider how they could be described using the 3 categories detailed on the activity sheets.
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As you are discussing with others, in the designated space on the activity sheets write down your thoughts corresponding to each category and share with others.
What gets someone excited?
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Use the category on the activity sheets to help facilitate conversation and give definition to what that is.
When someone gets excited or speaks about their interests, is it about people or environments they know?
Or is it repeating a specific movement?
Maybe finding comfort in the texture of a familiar surface?
How can they interact with objects?
You can base this on experience supporting a person and/or craft activities to find out.
Focus on how someone chooses to grasp or move something, not necessarily what they may be able to do. Use the corresponding category on the activity sheet to help consider and identify the person's ability/preference.
Can a person hold a roll of paper towels in one hand and rip off a paper towel with the other?
Are they capable of cutting out a triangle from a piece of paper using scissors?
Are they reliant on others to assist with eating?
How long can they stay excited and focused on an activity?
When talking or otherwise focusing on something of their own choosing, how long can someone stay focused?
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Think about how someone might think of something as done. Is it when a circle is fully colored in with pencil, or is it a lengthy multi-step process?
Is it a fleeting interaction that won’t be repeated?
Are they invested in preparatory steps, such as collecting all ingredients and readying a kitchen for making a meal?
Do they devote the majority of a day to making progress on a project or task that will likely need more focus the following day?
Conclusion
Considering what you gathered, how might you go about lengthening the time someone is interested in doing something using their interests? Maybe by another minute or adding another step to a process.
How can you use what you know about a person and what they are passionate about to motivate them to give more focus and energy to it?
If they understand that spending more time focused on something they enjoy improves their skills, these abilities will likely transfer to other tasks and actions.
This activity can be done as often as you choose to take account of someone’s interests and how they express their enthusiasm.